The Attorney

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This is a very good movie centred on a wonderful performance from Song Kang-Ho, and while his character and character arc shine, much of the movie feels very fictionalised and "cinematic", sometimes to the point of detracting from the story. Also has a weird, made-for-TV vibe to some of the shots even though generally the cinematography was decent.

A South Korean drama from 2013. Song Kang ho (Bong Joon-ho's go to guy who's appeared in several of his films including 2019's Best Picture, Parasite) stars as the titular ambulance chaser, well tax prepper, who gets a case that will change his life. Starting off his career making a lot of bank by luring clientele to his office to prep taxes (something a lawyer in Korea can do) where he even gains a partner who comes in off the street to help w/his work load. Soon enough a friend, Kim Young-ae, who runs an eatery w/her son, Oh Sal-su, calls upon his services when Sal-su is arrested during a Communist crackdown in their city where he's beaten, tortured & forced to make a confession along w/others. Definitely outside of his comfort zone, Kang-ho forges ahead & although the defense is stacked against him (along w/the judge), his passion & his astute reading of the law gets the public on his side where his fellow legal brethren stand w/him by film's end. Kang-ho is excellent here as he uses the court arena to vent & attack injustice at its most severe but unfortunately the plot struggles to find focus until the trial begins during the film's second hour diluting the overall film's power which Kang-ho nearly saves, I said nearly.

Another really enjoyable outing for Song Kang-ho, the Korean star who can do no wrong in my eyes. This makes a good companion piece to A TAXI DRIVER and PARASITE, one again looking at issues surrounding Korean politics and society, this time around the country's right-wing authoritarian dictatorship in the 1980s and a series of witch hunts that make even McCarthy look tame by comparison. The actor is in his element, transferring from light comedy early on to intense courtroom drama at the climax, and he's true to his character throughout. As usual, exemplary production values and writing make this a classic slice of contemporary Korean cinema, and if I had to criticise it would only to be to mention a couple of steps into melodrama at times. Otherwise, top stuff!